Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though. We’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Rob Manfred is talking about MLB expansion into Mexico
Wednesday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the next steps for MLB and Mexico, the resurgence of the curveball, and the hometown discount as a lie.
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
* * *
Rob Manfred is willing to say MLB is looking into just about anything, but some things he brings up more often than others — those are probably the things he actually believes in doing. Expansion is one such item, and usually he’s talking about international expansion when he does it.
American markets could be tapped out at this point, but internationally? There’s still plenty to think about. And the current topic is Mexico, which MLB would like to prove is viable by going from exhibition games there to games that count in the standings. From the MLB.com story on the subject:
“We think it’s time to move past exhibition games and play real live ‘they-count’ games in Mexico,” Manfred said. “That is the kind of experiment that puts you in better position to make a judgement as to whether you have a market that could sustain an 81-game season and a Major League team.”
That’s not a small thing: Expansion into Mexico would mean another team (or two), which is 80 additional 40-man roster spots in MLB, two more sets of minor league teams, an expansion draft, and, of course, the broadening of the game in terms of broadcasting, availability, appeal, and [extremely Mel Brooks as Yogurt voice] merchandising. Or to put it shorter: more money for MLB.
Given cord cutting, the (too old) average age of baseball fans, and the rising popularity of sports that are not baseball in America, finding international homes that work is the move that makes the most sense for MLB. A wise and handsome baseball writer once said that the future of baseball is international. And it seems like MLB is aware of that fact, too.
- Jered Weaver gave the Angels a hometown discount a few years back, and boy that sure didn’t work out for anyone involved, including the Angels. Let Grant Brisbee explain.
- Clayton Kershaw struck out 10 batters on Tuesday, which, for him, is kind of ho-hum in a way. That’s the point, though: Kershaw also lowered his career WHIP below 1.00 in the outing, putting him in some very select company.
- It wasn’t all good news for the Dodgers on Tuesday, as Yasiel Puig collided with Joc Pederson so hard that Pederson had to exit the game.
- You hear so much about what velocity is doing to pitching, but the resurgence of the curveball deserves your attention, too.
- Joey Votto was heckled by fans so he heckled back, and it was all caught on camera.
- The Rockies aren’t healthy yet (though they’re getting there), and despite this, they’re the first NL team to 30 wins.
- Things are not sounding great for John Farrell and the Red Sox at the moment. Farrell has always been easy to believe in, thanks to his relationships with the players, but if they are questioning his leadership, he’s in trouble.
- Remember Tyson Ross? Maybe not, since he was on the Padres. But when healthy, he was one of the game’s better pitchers. He had a successful rehab start with a Rangers affiliate on Tuesday.
- What’s Francisco Lindor’s secret to being such a powerful middle infielder? He doesn’t know, either.
See More:
